The Red Road
by Neurochemical
Summary: By the time the madness has taken one's whole body and mind...They become mindless. Creatures with only the instinct to kill. They become zombies. Rated M for violence, language, future adult themes. Warning: Possible character deaths!
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Soul Eater. I have not read any other Soul Eater zombie stories so this plot is all my idea. If it bears close resemblance to another fanfic, then…oops.

* * *

><p>8:19 PM<p>

Soul!

Got it.

He transforms instantly, a blinding white light and then a red and black scythe with a single eye embedded. I grab him and spin him hesistantly in my hands.

I'm so sorry, I whisper.

His soul is confused at first, until he understands. My apologies are not aimed at him.

I slice through the five students in one swipe, effectively decapitating them.

I recognize two of them as girls from our class. Nina and Sam, former occupants of dorm 203- the dorm across from us. Heads rolling; dead.

I feel Soul transform back and wrap his arms around me comfortingly. I blush a light pink as the pit of my stomach flutters instinctively but I do not move my eyes from the heads.

It had to be done.

I know.

We have to survive. There is no cure for them.

I know.

We hurry down the hall toward the stairwell. We need supplies. I didn't want to leave the apartment, ever, but Soul pointed out that we needed food before every store was ransacked. As we round the corner, coming up on another swarm of students, I think back to earlier this day. How it had all gone to shit so quickly.

It was 3 PM, and class just finished for the day. Stein was on about cleaning up our scalpels and bird intestines and I wasn't paying much attention. Soul was asleep in his seat, a mop of white hair rested on his elbow.

Soul and Maka, I need to speak with you after class.

I sighed. This was either about Soul constantly snoozing through the day or an extracurricular assignment. I prayed for the latter.

Soul had not woken up, even for Stein's announcement, so as the rest of the class filed out of the room I shook him awake and we headed to Stein's desk.

What is it, professor?

Soul rubbed the back of his neck and yawned. I glared at him. He shot me a questioning look.

Only up close did I realize how… _off_ Stein looked. The bags under his eyes were worse than normal and there was something in his eyes that I didn't recognize. I quick peeked into his soul and what I saw made me gasp and take a step back.

Maka, I would appreciate you not looking into my soul without permission.

I smiled sheepishly. Sorry Professor.

But my head was spinning, trying to understand the black paint-looking shell covering the majority of Stein's blue glowy soul.

Well, you've seen it now anyways. I might as well explain what you just saw.

Soul was still thoroughly confused.

You both know that the Kishin Asura has been awakened, and is being held in Babayaga castle by Arachne.

We nod solemnly.

You're also aware that they've had machines set up all over the world to distribute the Kishin's madness.

We nod again.

Well, there's…no easy way to say this…It seems even after we destroyed a fair amount of the machines, the madness continued spreading. It's like some sort of virus- once it reached open air it infected the weak immediately. What we didn't anticipate is what came after. It seems that…the madness can spread through human contact as well.

Alarmed, I leaned away from Stein. This didn't go unnoticed.

Relax, Maka. He seemed amused at his calming words. How relaxed should one be after hearing such grave information?

The chance of you picking up the madness from anyone, even me, is very slim. You too, Soul. You both have very strong souls and plenty of willpower. You've also been almost…immunized by your contact with Chrona.

My eyes widened.

Chrona?  
>Yes, you know he…er..she?... Had plenty of the madness, bestowed upon by Medusa.<br>I growled at the name. Soul took my hand and rubbed my palm to calm me down.

I sighed. So, how many are infected?

Well, the madness spread much faster than we ever imagined. It's like a horrible flu season.

How many? I repeated.

Almost every normal human has the madness at some stage, he deadpanned.

Wait, 'at some stage?'

This is possibly the worst part. You remember all the encounters with the madness, right? Did you find it odd that they were all very violent, full of blood-lust?

I remembered Chrona. So sweet, so incredibly shy. Until the madness took him, and he had no problem attacking anyone. Not his friends…not me.

When I turned to Soul I noticed he'd gone rigid. He was thinking of something bad.

Stein interrupted.

The madness we've seen so far…it turns out that, that's only the beginning stage. It took a long time to completely take effect on Chrona and Medusa and the others because they have strong souls. I don't think Medusa even knew what the black blood was capable of, beyond adding immense power to an individual. But she must know what lies in store for her and Chrona now, after seeing it take hold of normal humans. They deteriorate fully within a day.

Deteriorate to what, Professor?

By the time the madness has taken one's whole body and mind, and the black blood has reached every last nerve ending in the brain…

I waited.

They become mindless. Creatures with only the instinct to kill. They become like…

Zombies, Soul offered lifelessly.

Precisely. We're dealing with, basically, a zombie apocalypse.

I thought, this all seems so very, very unrealistic.

So, there is a zombie apocalypse going on and somehow no one in the city has heard of it yet?

The people here don't have much media access to the outside world, and Shinigami-sama and the staff have made sure nothing leaked.

Why?  
>Mass panic can be much scarier than any disease.<p>

All this time, Soul looked sick to his stomach.

Stein…He choked out the word.

I know Soul. You're worried about the black blood in you, right?

He nodded painfully.

I can take it all out.

You what?

I've been working on myself for weeks now, preparing. You don't have that much in you so I can get it out. I think.

Soul looked slightly relieved, and slightly afraid that Professor would be cutting him open.

But after I do that, the Professor continued, I will need something in return.

Anything, I said quickly.

You promise?

Yes, of course. What is it?  
>I'll tell you after I cure Soul. You have to promise me you'll do it.<p>

After the surgery, I stepped cautiously into the room. Soul was lying on a metal table with nothing but his boxers on. He had bandages all over his body. I rushed over to him, not even slightly deterred by his almost-nakedness.

He opened his eyes when I placed my hand over his. Brilliant ruby was all I saw, refusing to look anywhere but his face. Okay, maybe his almost-nakedness made me a _tad_ nervous.

How are you feeling?

Like shit.

I smiled sadly. But it's all over now. The black blood is gone.

Right. That little demon fucker seems to be gone forever.

I smiled again. He seemed genuinely relieved that he was rid of the black blood and that was all that mattered.  
>We were still smiling at each other when Stein came in the room.<p>

How ya feelin?

Been better, Soul smirked.

Well enough to transform?  
>I thought, that's an odd question.<p>

Probably, it's second nature to me now…Why?

I'm gonna need you to take care of that promise.

I grew cold with apprehension.

Who do we need to take out? I was cautious.

Me. He didn't pause, didn't stutter.

What?

The black blood has consumed me. If I let it progress any more, it will reach the end stage and I will end up hurting my students. I cannot let this happen.

I stood dumbfounded. Soul looked expressionless.

I would do it myself, Stein continued, but I need to make sure I'm cut clean through the spinal chord at my neck. He made an imitation slit with his finger across his throat.

This is the best place to kill someone with the madness, because it disconnects the brain, where the black blood takes hold last and therefore is a weak spot. Remember this, because it's how you'll need to kill the zombies. You can also stab in the head, but it needs to be deep enough to reach the brain. Understand?

This was not the kind of learning I ever wanted.

We nodded.

So then, have at it. He grinned wickedly, taking his own death so lightly.

No. I finally started to choke up, the realization of what I was supposed to do hitting me.

Soul placed his arm around my waist and looked at me helplessly. He hates it when I cry.

Maka, you promised you would help. I need you to do this. Listen, it seems surreal right now, I know, but this _is_ happening. I'm the first of many you'll need to kill. You might know more of them later on.

I shook my head vigorously but his words held truth.

Maka you need to do this.

I was still crying. This couldn't be happening. This had to be a dream.

But I was not foolish enough to believe that.

I held out my hand wordlessly and Soul transformed.

Maka, close your eyes, Soul said. I'll guide us. You don't need to look.

I nodded shakily. I moved my arm weakly but Soul's power ripped my arm through the air.

Goodbye, guys. And good luck.

Those were his last words before I heard a splatter and a slump. Something warm hit my cheek but I didn't think about it.

I didn't open my eyes until Soul had transformed back and guided me safely away from the operation room. My tears stopped. I didn't feel anything. The denial was a defense mechanism, surely, but it was all I had.

We returned to our room quickly without talking.

I sat in our living room for a while. Soul went into the kitchen first and then sat beside me with a damp washcloth. He washed the blood off my face and neck without a word.

After about an hour he got a call. I didn't listen, not wanting to intrude but mostly not having the strength to do anything but stare at the floor.

That was Blair.

I almost glared at him.

She said she was walking along the gate of the city when a clumsy man appeared. She said his eyes were all white and his shirt was stained red. She said he looked like some freak straight out of a zombie movie.

So it's happening.

Yeah.

One has infiltrated the city.

Yeah.

And we're the only students who know.

Yeah.

I took Soul's phone and dialed Black Star and Tsubaki's house. I told her tonelessly to lock her dorm room door and windows, and come up with a damn good reason to keep Black Star inside. I could only guess his reaction if we told him what was happening. He would instantly leave, yelling about surpassing the Gods and killing them with pleasure. One slip up (Shinigami knew he'd had his fair share of those) and he'd be one of them.

And I knew Tsubaki would accidentally tell him the truth if I told her. She couldn't keep anything from Black Star. So when she asked why, I said, please. Just trust me. And hung up.

I called Kidd next but he already knew, informed by his father. He said his mission was to inform all the Shibusen students they were to stay in their homes, and kill any people already infected.

I didn't ask to help.

I looked out the window at 8 PM and couldn't comprehend what I saw. Hoards of lifeless bodies slouching down the street. Blood on the ground, on buildings, on people. The city looked like it had been taken over weeks ago, not hours.

Soul joined me silently.

This is really happening.

Yeah.

* * *

><p>So now here we are, slashing through former peers who've been reduced to mindless attackers.<p>

We race down the stairs and toward the glass front door. We pause for a moment, gazing out at the zombies outside. And it hits me. This is really happening!

It's one thing to say it, another to finally feel it. No more denial, no more numbness in my brain. I summon all the courage I ever had before kicking down the front door. Not only do I feel badass, but I attract the attention of all nearby zombies, therefore saving any possible victims in the area.

Soul has to smile at my drastic change in attitude.

There's the Maka I was waiting for.

He transforms and I burst out onto the street, wielding him expertly.

This was a mission, a really, really important mission but I will treat it the same.

Zombies, your souls are mine!

* * *

><p>Soo there it is, the first chapter of my first Soul Eater fan fiction. You will notice the dialogue is done without any quotations, partly because I'm a lazy ass and partly because it fits this kind of story, I feel. If you've read The Road by Cormac McCarthy, that is where I got the title and dialogue idea from.<p>

I was having trouble with that last line, I didn't know if I should change it to "Zombies, your brains are mine!" because that's what they're after in this story? It sounds silly, though.

So… Don't hate me because I killed a character already? :D It had to be done. I actually wrote it without thinking and then felt regret; he could have been a really fun character in this situation. Ohhhh welll, there are plenty of others!

Also, is the idea of a zombie outbreak super super overdone now? Ahhhh I don't care, I still love it.

Look at me ramble. This is my first after-the-story A/N after all :'3

Anyyyywhooo, pwease pwease leave reviews! Does the story make any sense at all? Have you found plot holes already? I need to know these things now, before I map the whole thing out! Thank you so very much for reading~


	2. Chapter 2

10:08 PM

We step into the store hesitantly, noting that the electricity is still working. That's a plus. It's eerie even so, because the place is empty. This is Wal-Mart. It's NEVER empty, not even at 4 in the morning. The vacancy of the building makes it look even larger. I sigh. On a list of places to head to gather supplies for a crisis like a zombie outbreak, Wal-Mart seems to be an excellent choice. There's plenty of food, a multitude of extra supplies and various forms of weaponry. But if you think about it, that's what makes Wal-Mart a_ terrible_ place to go in these circumstances-_everyone_ will go here. Who knows how many people had already been through here, and if any had been infected.

We could be walking into a death trap, I think.

Okay, Soul says. First we need non-perishable food. We don't know when this place'll be totally emptied, and they have the most canned food here. Next, we need to get you a weapon.

I look at him curiously.

Maka, if for any reason we get separated, I can turn just my arm into a scythe as protection. You have nothing.

The thought of us getting separated suddenly seems like the darkest event imaginable.

I nod wearily.  
>What kind of weapon should I get?<p>

What about…a knife? It'll need to be big enough to ensure you can do damage to their brain, but I think that's your best option here. We can always find something more your style later on. I'll just feel better if you have _something_.

We set off to the food department, each with a basket. Turning down the first aisle we find, well, nothing shocking. No dead bodies, no guts splattered on the floor or anything. I should feel safer but I don't. Instead, I feel like I'm in the beginning of a horror movie, and this false state of security is just prepping the audience to shit their pants when a hoard of zombies burst through the door. I shake the scenario from my head and start picking up all the long-lasting food I can find. We continue down aisles like this, and eventually end up with a whole load of various fruits, vegetables, meats, soups and snacks, all in cans or pouches. We also grab things like toilet paper and to Soul's minor embarrassment, tampons. We still haven't come up against a single other human.

We prepare to leave the food section when Soul receives a call.

He frowns. It's Black Star. What should I do?

Chances are, even Black Star's figured out what's happening now. Better fill him in.

Soul nods and answers the phone, before cursing and holding it away from his ear as Black Star yells from the other line. That boy has no inside voice to be found.

I walk on ahead of Soul as he stops and eyes a stand of chips, still mumbling to Black Star to shut the hell up and listen for a minute.

A series of sniffles makes me stop dead in my tracks. I glance into a clothing section to find a girl no older than five huddled up in a ball, crying. Unthinkingly, I run toward her.

Hey, are you okay?

She sniffles again and looks up at me with wide eyes. They're pure black.

I'm taken aback, but she's still just a little girl. And she looks terrified!

Sweetie don't worry, you'll be okay. Where's you-

And then it's pitch black.

If I thought it was quiet before, with nothing but the buzzing of lights, it's dead silent now. The girl had stopped crying at the exact moment the lights switched off. How uncanny.

I'm starting to get a really bad feeling in the pit of my gut but I still call out to her.

Hey, little girl, are you there?

No answer.

Just as I begin to feel blindly forward, squatted so that I'll bump into her, I hear Soul yell

Maka?

Soul! I'm right over here, in the clothes, I found this little girl-

Maka RUN!

What? I have to h-

NO JUST RUN TO MY VOICE! NOW!

Soul doesn't particularly like kids but I know he isn't heartless. And I trust him. So I immediately back away but trip over a clothing rack behind me and fall, spilling the contents of my basket.

Ah!

I hear Soul's footsteps desperately turn into the clothes section and then feel his hands grip mine, pulling me up.

Thanks.

He throws all the things haphazardly back in the basket and hands it back to me.

Now let's get you a weapon. He's whispering.

Wait, what about the little-

SHH. He grabs my arm and pulls me away before I have time to say anything else.

We have to use the dim light of Soul's phone to guide us to the kitchen utensils. Soul still isn't saying anything, his jaw taut and ruby eyes darting around, as if expecting an ambush.

I decide there's a reason and he'll tell me when it's appropriate.

We find the knives and I pick out the largest one, an industrial butcher knife. The blade is long and wide, the handle a smooth cherry wood. I hold it up to my face and gulp at my dim reflection. My pigtails are in a disarray, the ends of some strands dyed black from the blood of zombies on the way here. My emerald eyes are wide with fear and my complexion is even paler than usual.

Quickly, I put the knife in a strap on my boot. I shake my right foot around experimentally; the knife doesn't budge. Soul looks a bit relieved now that I have a weapon of my own and pulls me toward the front of the store.

I'm still completely confused as to why he's so intent on getting us out of here. Is Soul scared of the dark? I almost chuckle at the thought.

We come back to the front and I stifle a gasp as I take in the scene at the door.s Illuminated by the moon from outside, we can see the shadows of at least 50 zombies. I put my basket down and look at Soul expectantly, preparing my stance for combat, but he shakes his head and holds a finger up to his mouth, as if it's of the utmost importance that I do not speak. Then he whispers very faintly in my ear.

I'm going to test something.

I want to scream, now's not exactly the best time for experiments! But I hold my tongue.

The zombies are still walking forward- they're almost at us now. Soul grabs my basket from the ground and pushes me back with him so that we're up against a soda machine and I watch in amazement as the zombies PASS US. Without even looking. They walk in a surprisingly organized fashion to the clothing section.

My heart drops in my stomach. The little girl. What is going on?

Soul notices my panic-stricken face and shakes his head sadly, as if to say, there's nothing we can do.

Almost all of the zombies have passed us. We're ready to make a run for it as soon as they've cleared the door. And then the most obnoxious, yet heart-stopping voice yells out.

SOUL? MAKA? YOU GUYS THERE? DON'T WORRY, THE GREAT BLACK STAR IS COMING TO SAVE YOU! YAHHH- OUCH!

Evidently Tsubaki had hit him for being so loud. But it was too late. The zombies at the back of the herd had definitely heard him.

While a lot of them continued their pilgrimage to the back of the store, a great deal turned around and decided we were worth killing.

Black Star you IDIOT!

I figure now that we've been noticed I can afford to scream at him.

He comes through the front door laughing, Relax Maka! I can take out these bakas in two seconds flat! Watch me!

And I sigh as he flings Tsubaki, in her giant shuriken mode, like a boomerang. The first row of enemies fall, having their legs all taken out from underneath.

Black Star, you need to take out their HEADS or they won't die! As I say this, we all watch as black blood forms a string between each leg and zombie, connecting the two until the zombies stand back up, looking the same as before.

Woah.

Shit, Soul spits. He puts down the baskets and transforms.

Black Star just laughs. So you have to take out the head, huh? No wonder they kept coming at us on the way here! Gyahahaha! And then he throws Tsubaki again, this time decapitating every one in the front line. You had to admit, his aim was fantastic.

We wait, half-expecting their heads to reattach, even though we'd killed plenty the same way already. However this time they stay dead, so we can move forward and kill the rest.

The zombies all range in age but are all adults I don't recognize, I notice while slicing through them. I'm sort of glad; I don't want to think about killing another person we know. Stein's maniacal smile flashes through my thoughts long enough to distract me and a zombie has a clear shot at my neck.

Maka watch out! My scythe screams at me.

I snap out of my reverie just in time to slice clean up the zombie's head, and he falls with his head in pieces. Any normal girl would have squealed at the gore. I guess I can thank my schooling for desensitizing me.

As we cut through the mob of them, it becomes increasingly darker until it's very hard to make out even their shadows, so I'm basically swinging blindly.

Maka are you blind? Gyahaa you don't have great night vision like me! As expected! I'll take the rest out, you go get a flashlight!

I want to growl at the idiot but he IS killing them much better than me in the dark. And a flashlight might save our asses in the future, when all the electricity in the city goes out. That always happens in apocalypses, right?

I run off to the camping supplies, constantly looking back over my shoulder to make sure no zombies have followed me. Black Star is still making tons of noise and they're all staying by him. Suddenly it dawns on me- they're blind! They didn't notice us until Black Star showed up, hollering as always. So they only react to sound. This will help us a _ton_, I figure.

After getting a few different flashlights, all claiming to "last days longer than the competing brand!" and all the batteries I can hold, we head back to retrieve our baskets and check up on Black Star. He's standing triumphantly with his hands on his hips and a huge grin in the middle of a floor covered in zombie parts. I think he was _made_ for this type of thing. Tsubaki is back in her human form and I run up to her as she bursts into tears, hugging her tightly. She, unlike Black Star, is not quite as thrilled with so much killing.

Come on Tsubaki, we did it! We took those fuckers out without a scratch!

Black Star is so dense when it comes to girls.

We-we're staying t-together, she whimpers in my shoulder.

Of course, I agree firmly.

The four of us head back to Soul and my apartment, since it's closer.

Black Star takes out every zombie in our way with enthusiasm while Soul and I carry all the items we stole. I had tried leaving money at a cash register but Black Star bursted out laughing and Soul reminded me patiently that there wasn't anyone, not even a Wal-Mart employee, worried about money at this point.

Poor Tsubaki.

Soul snorts, she's gonna have to get over it at some point.  
>I glare at him. Not everyone was sitting around waiting for the excuse to kill hundreds of people, you know.<p>

He sighs. Yeah, I got it. She's not a crazy bastard like Black Star. But he's her partner, and there's no way she'll leave him.

I nod and continue watching said crazy bastard tear up another few bodies.

* * *

><p>11:52<p>

We arrive home and set our things down, then flop down on the couch in the living room. I wonder why the electricity here is still on, but Wal-Mart's got knocked out…?

Black Star sits in a chair and Tsubaki on the floor below him. She looks like she's going to be sick.

So now that we're all relatively safe, Soul starts, I think we need to talk about what's going on here.

What was the deal with that little girl...? I wonder.

Oh, you guys came across one too? Black Star shouts excitedly. I wince and nod.

Well we found one on our way to your guys' apartment, and tried helping her out. But the second we _touched_ her she screamed and BAM! We were surrounded by a ton of _pissed off_ zombie fuckers!

How _weird_. I tried calming one down too and then the lights went out...And I don't know what happened to her after...

Black Star had just told me about the little girl when the power went down and that's why I told you to run, Soul says.

I nod. I wonder what would have happened if I touched her...?

I don't want to find out.

So, Tsubaki adds up, that's where the zombies were going when we showed up- to that little girl?

It must be! But why?

I stand up and motion the others to follow me.

I think we need to get a hold of Shinigami-sama and find out what's going on. I also wanna know how Kidd's doing…

There's a moment of silence while we think about our other best friends- the black haired son of Shinigami and his two eccentric weapons.

Then Soul, Black Star and Tsubaki follow me down the hall.

After writing the number to the Death Room on the mirror, I stand back and we all watch expectantly.

Something I've never seen before appears in the mirror. Nothing. Our reflections disappear and the mirror goes blank white.

Shinigami-sama…didn't answer?

* * *

><p><strong>Weeeeeee so there's chapter two! I didn't go through this one as many times to edit so hopefully there aren't too many grammar errors.<strong>

**Many more questions to be answered in the following chapters, like who those creepy little girls are (reminds me of Bioshock, hehe) and what happened to Shinigami! I'm basically winging this whole story a chapter at a time sooooo**

**REVIEW! PLEASE! if you have suggestions for the plot, errors you found, characters you want killed...**

**And thank you for reading :3**


	3. Chapter 3

Heh, I took a while getting this chapter up. But school starts in a week and I'm busssyyyyy. I know, excuses excuses. Anyway. Here it is. Oh and I don't own Soul Eater :P

* * *

><p>12:00 AM<p>

What…do we do?  
>No one has an answer for me.<p>

It's the first night they're in the city…They couldn't have already gotten to Shinigami-sama! They… I trail off, lost in thought. Shinigami is the lord of death. Surely he can control these pesky undead creatures, but then again, there were _so many_ and we only went one place, and what if some of them know what they're doing and gathered a ton to kill Shinigami, and what about those little girls? And…

Soul notices how confused I look, unable to straighten out my thoughts. He claps a hand on my shoulder and says,

It's been a _really_ long day. Tomorrow won't be any better. So I say we barricade ourselves in the living room and try to get some sleep. We can go find Shinigami-sama and Kid tomorrow.

I would attempt to argue but the notion of sleep has my eyes drooping already.

Black Star and Tsubaki, you're staying here, right?

Tsubaki nods, clearly afraid to go back out at this point and Black Star whoops.

Slumber party! Yahoooooo!

Only he could make light of a situation like this. Soul shakes his head.

Dude, you're so gay sometimes. I'm sleeping as far away from you as possible.

We put the couch in front of the front door, and stack chairs and other random things on it. We don't think they'll attempt to barge in, as long as we're quiet, but you can't be too safe. We have nothing tall enough to block off the window, but we think we'll hear if somehow, a zombie tries to climb through it.

Next Soul and I retreat to our rooms to gather blankets and pillows for the four of us. I have an extra pillow in my closet but Soul doesn't, so we're left with only three for the four of us.

Maka and I will share, Soul says coolly when we discover the issue. I whip my head to face him, already getting red but he just smirks at me.

Soul, get it in! Black Star shouts. I tune out the obscene things he's shouting and focus on making beds for all of us, while Tsubaki quietly reminds him he should probably be quiet if we want to avoid any more attacks tonight.

We turn out the lights and snuggle up in our beds. Soul pulls his far closer to mine to rest his head on the pillow, while my face grows uncontrollably hot. I can feel him staring at me so I sigh and turn to face him. Our faces are inches apart but this doesn't seem to bother him at all. Doesn't he know what this would look like to someone watching? My mind takes a very brief trip to the gutter and I squeeze my eyes shut in an attempt to rid my head of indecent things.

Maka, Soul whispers. I open my eyes without thinking and see him staring seriously into my eyes.

I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. I just feel a lot better with you close to me. If you hear anything tonight, wake me up right away.

I smile. His genuine concern always surprises me- it's so unlike what I expect guys to act like. As if to prove me right, he then smirks and adds,

So what were YOU thinking that made you so red?  
>Ugh, Soul! Just when I was thinking you were decent! I turn around to hide my ever-blushing cheeks.<p>

He seems to hesitate, and then I feel him wrap his arm around my waist and pull me closer.

It's okay to have regular teenage thoughts, Maka, he laughs quietly. I can't respond, too mesmerized by the warm feeling of being held by Soul. He mistakes my silence as being upset and starts to move his arm when I find my voice.

It's okay, I say a bit too loud. I mean, I whisper, we can stay like this…

I can almost _see_ his smug face behind me.

Maka wants to spoon, huh? Who knew you'd be so-

I growl, cutting him off.

He laughs and twirls one of my pigtails around his finger.

Okay, shutting up. He keeps playing with my hair gently. It feels so amazing I'm afraid I'll start purring. Instead, I fall asleep in his arms, surprisingly content after such an awful, tragic day. I remember the last thought before I drifted to sleep,

I wish I could just stay with Soul like this forever…

* * *

><p>My heart pounding. Wide brown eyes that seem to hide a secret. A blue soul turning red and then, suddenly, the girl is cackling and I'm surrounded, surrounded by faceless monsters and when I try to look at them they change shape constantly. I cry out to the girl but she's turned into a whole new monster, and I get the vibe she directs the rest of them. They're attacking and my feet won't move. I'm screaming, screaming…<p>

* * *

><p>3:39 AM<p>

Maka! Maka wake up! It's okay, you're okay!

The dream world dissipates as fast as it came on and my eyes fly open. I realize I've been screaming for real and promptly close my mouth. I turn over to face Soul who looks totally panicked.

Maka, he whispers again, you're okay. It was just a dream.

At the word _dream_ I think back to my nightmare and that girl's piercing red soul. Unthinkingly, I crumple into Soul's chest and start crying. So evil, such an innocent soul gone evil…

Maka… He's rubbing my back. I feel like a child but also so safe with him beside me. I shake my head into his chest.

Soul it was so bad…that girl…

I know he understands without me having to say anything.

It's okay. We're going to figure all of this out, and help those little girls. Little boys too, if there are any…

You think, I sniff, we can?  
>Of course.<p>

I calm down. Soul keeps his promises to me, one of his 'cool guy' things. Upon calming down I realize the lack of clothing I'm leaning in on. If I was more awake, I'd probably lurch away from him and scream but it's almost 4 AM. Not even I have that much energy.

You don't have a shirt on.

I wondered how long it would take for you to notice.

I look up at him. He's smirking, as always.

Why, Soul.

I was hot. Innocent enough, but his eyes are gleaming like he's thoroughly enjoying this.

Does my nakedness bother you?

You're not- I quickly check under the covers to make sure-

You checked! He laughs. What would you have done if I _was_? I haven't slept enough for this kind of discussion. Who knows what crazy crap I'll say accidentally.

I close my eyes and sigh, Go to sleep Soul.

You're no fun.

I don't answer, already half-asleep. But I don't move an inch, choosing to stay cuddled into Soul in hopes of chasing any more bad dreams away. His scent and warmth are enough to make me forget every nightmare I've ever had.

You smell good, I whisper-slur as I drift off. I swear he kissed my forehead but I can't be sure.

* * *

><p>11:46 AM<p>

YAHOOOOO! A BREAKFAST FIT FOR GODS!

Ughhhhhhh, I groan and roll over, noticing the emptiness next to me. I open my eyes slowly, still groggy.

What time is it? I wonder aloud.

Almost noon, Tsubaki fills me in. I sit up and see her sitting on the floor near me, smiling a little.

Noon! Oh my god, we're all so late for sch… Oh yeah. The events of yesterday all come back to me. Going to school would probably not be a good idea today.

Soul peeks his head in from the kitchen.

I let you sleep in. I'm sure you needed it, after last night…

The sexual implications behind that statement make me blush and Black Star start cackling. Those two are so infuriating.

I shake my head and drift into the kitchen. Something smells delicious.

When I see the apron on Soul and spatula in his hand I stop and blink a few times, wondering if this is just another dream.

You're cooking? Without me having to Maka-chop you multiple times?

Black Star is at the table, and interrupts with a mouth full of food,

Iss so gwoood!

Skeptical, I join Black Star at the table and fill my plate with eggs, sausage and pancakes. Upon taking a bite, I realize it _is_ good. It's actually fantastic…

I glare at Soul.  
>You never cook anything like this.<p>

He smiles sheepishly.

I thought we'd need it to build our spirits before heading out today, so…

Soul, Black Star says, I really hope the zombies don't get you. He pauses to chug his entire glass of milk. Cause we need you for this!

Oh thanks, Soul replies sarcastically.

Tsubaki? I call.

Not hungry, she calls back from the living room. I frown.

Is she okay? I whisper to Black Star.

Black Star's eyes cloud over. I don't know. I hope so.

Tsubaki is the only reason he ever calms down and takes things seriously. He notices me staring at him in wonder and quickly changes the subject.

So what are the plans for today! He's back to shouting.

We need to go to the DWMA, specifically the Death Room. Shinigami-sama's gotta be around there somewhere. He can't even leave the city.

Soul sits down beside me.

Let's call Kid, he suggests. He pulls out his phone and dials the number expertly. Why have a cell phone if you're going to enter the numbers in manually? I wonder.

He shuts the phone seconds later.

Went right to voice mail.

Shit, Black Star grunts.

So I suppose we should go to his house after finding Shinigami, Soul says.

We nod.

After we've all eaten, we're ready to head out. I tried to get Tsubaki to eat something but she insisted she was fine; she'd eat when we got back. I_f_ we got back…

We unblock the door and head out. The dead bodies still lay on the floor where fought the night before. I ignore them the best I can.

When we get outside, there are very few zombies walking around. Two far down the street to the left, and one on the right.

Are they all dead? I wonder aloud.

Doubt it, answers Soul. I think a lot more of them come out at night. They seem to like the dark.

We arrive at the main school building without having to fight anyone; Tsubaki looks relieved. But we're not out of the water yet. Inside the school building, where it's a lot darker, there are many more bodies stumbling around. Some of them have uniforms on. Did they really try to come to school today? Were they not aware of the havoc going on outside?

I shiver, realizing the heat in the school is off. Being late fall, the temperature outside is chilly enough but in this dank building, with the torches unlit and heat not on, it feels like winter. I'm still wearing my school uniform from yesterday, sans my black coat. We were in such a hurry this morning…

Soul places his jacket on my shoulders without a word. I smile. He doesn't have soul perception like I do but he's really good at reading me. I shove my arms through the sleeves and offer him thanks. He simply shrugs saying,

I won't need it in weapon form anyways. With that, he promptly changes into a scythe and we head down the hall. Tsubaki is in weapon form as well, I notice. I hope she'll be okay. After all, some of these people are students from Shibusen. If I have trouble killing them, I don't even know how badly Tsubaki will react.

We only kill the ones that directly attack us, with an unspoken agreement that we don't want to lob off the heads of people we used to be in class with. Finally, we reach the Death Room. Now we're unsure of what to do. Knock on the door? Black Star answers our question by kicking the door down and barging right in. I sigh and head after him.

The room looks the same as always. A large white, circular platform with a single mirror standing atop it, surrounded by a desert of graves. The only thing missing is Shinigami-sama. We step onto the platform and head toward the mirror. It looks the same as ours did when we called Shinigami- pure white.

Soooo…he's not here. I start.

Oi, Shinigami! Where you at?

Black Star…

The great Black Star comes just to see you and you're not here!

Black Star shut up!

Why? Maybe he can hear me!

No, he won't but look! I desperately point to the door he kicked down. Zombies are flooding through and heading right to us.

Oh, shit.

Yeah!

We both jump back instinctively, preparing to fight. Black Star jumps much higher than me and as a result, ends up in the desert.

AHHHH! I'M SINKING! MAKA HELP! I turn to see him tugging at his legs, which are already calf-deep in the sand.

When I look in front of me again, there's a group of enemies surrounding me.

I'm a _little_ busy Black Star! Try to get out on your own! I swipe through the zombies while I yell.

Black Star yelling caught some of their attention and they turned and headed toward him. But as soon as they hit the sand, they too began to sink. At least this trap will work against them too, I think.

I check on Black Star again. He's knee-deep now, desperately slashing with Tsubaki through the sand with little success. Thankfully, as he screams in frustration, he's attracting the majority of the monsters toward him. As they get stuck, they simply stop in confusion and make groaning noises. Just like a cheesy horror movie, I think.

I head to the very edge of the platform and yell,

Oi zombies! Over here! Yeah come at me, see how far that'll get you!

Maka what are you..? Soul's bodiless voice asks me. I answer his question by letting the zombies get really close to me, then side jumping out of the way to let them keep walking. As I suspected, the idiots saunter right into the sand, only stopping once they can walk no further.

Nice! Soul compliments. I smirk.

We still have to figure out how to help Black Star though!

I watch helplessly as he slowly sinks.

_What do we do_?

Think, Maka! I search around the room frantically. The mirrior? It's a long shot but maybe the sand only swallows humans- how else would the graves stay up, right?

Soul, turn back!

Why?  
>Just do it! Keep your arm a scythe and cover me!<p>

I hurry to the mirror and grab its thick frame. Soul is behind me, slashing through zombies. I carry it to the edge by Black Star, after using it to knock down any zombies in my path. It's really heavy but years of training have strengthened my arms so that I can still swing it around freely. I throw it in the sand and watch. A few seconds pass. Black Star is still shouting for help. The mirror…isn't sinking! Yes!

Okay, Soul! Transform back! He does as I say.

I raise him in my arms and then shove him down so that his blade is stuck deep in the platform and the rod is jutting out over the sand a good distance. I then jump onto the mirror and reach out for Black Star, who's almost up to his stomach in the sand.

Grab on to me!

He does so, and I pull with all my might, releasing him up to his thighs. By this time I'm close enough to grab Soul's handle and I use it as much-needed leverage to pull Black Star out. The muscles in my arms are screaming but I don't let up a bit. Finally, after tugging until I'm sweating profusely, Black Star comes free. He flies on to the mirror, landing on top of me.

Oof, Black Star! Get…Off!

Oops, sorry Maka! Gyahaha! He jumps up off of me and then onto the platform in another bound. How much energy does that boy have? I stand up slowly and jump back to the platform too. Panting, I watch Black Star fight his way through more zombies to the door, before picking it up, shoving it back on it's hinges, and slamming it shut. I look around. All the enemies in here have died-either by our hands or the sand. I sigh in relief.

Black Star, you _really_ need to learn to shut the hell up sometimes.

* * *

><p><strong>LOOK, FLUFF! Yes, I managed to create SoMa fluff in a zombie story. Hehehehe. I'm starting to realize because of my surprising lack of swearing and not-yet-any-adult-content, this story really could be rated T. Oh well, I'll just have to make it bloodier and add in some F bombs in the future :3<strong>

**So I had planned on spanning this chapter until they got to Kid's house but GAHHHH I CAN WRITE NO MORE TODAY. So it's ending here. Thank you to the few who reviewed and favored. I will keep writing this story to the end no matter what, but it really motivates me when people like my work :3**

**So please leave reviews, people~ Many questions still to be answered in chapters to come. Where is Shinigami-sama! Is Kid okay! Will Black Star ever learn to CALM THE SHIT DOWN!**

**Thank you all for reading :3**


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